The number of female admissions at Her Majesty’s Prison in Dodds, St. Philip Barbados is trending upwards while the number of new male offenders at the correctional facility is declining, according to the just released findings of the latest prison report.
According to the 2016 annual report from the penal facility, female admissions climbed by 36.5 per cent while male admissions dropped by 7.7 per cent.
However, despite the increase, the number of female prisoners which stood at 86, trailed male admissions by a long way with male inmates totalling 1,043.
Only 13 per cent of convicted females were serving sentences of five years or more while 42 per cent of convicted males were facing lengthy sentences.
According to the Barbados Today, the report showed that the majority of females were serving sentences for drug possession. However, the majority of females on remand were charged with more serious offences, including firearm possession, wounding, theft, murder and sexual assault.
During the period under review, 422 males and 28 females were released from prison, with the correctional facility registering a 13.3 per cent reduction in repeat offenders.
